


Sandcastles in the Sand

by unoriginal_liz



Series: lwd himym au of doom [8]
Category: Life with Derek
Genre: AU, F/M, Inspired by How I Met Your Mother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-19
Updated: 2012-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-23 22:17:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7482024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unoriginal_liz/pseuds/unoriginal_liz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“When was the last time <i>you</i> took a chance?  At least I’m not afraid to <i>try</i>.  Unlike <i>some</i> people.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sandcastles in the Sand

_**“Dad. Not that hearing about how you and Aunt Casey hasn’t been” –** _

_**“ – gross” –** _

_**“Yeah. But – are you planning on ever getting to the part where you meet Mom?”** _

_**“Funny you should mention that. Because she actually saw me on my first day in UT. She was in the very first class I taught.”** _

_**“God. Dad. Skeeze alert. Just when I think it can’t get any worse than you dating Aunt Casey – you somehow manage to rack the ew factor even higher and start dating your students.”** _

_**“What? Oh. Oh no! No. No. She wasn’t my student. Your mother was never my student. That would have been weird.”** _

_**“But – you said she was in your class.”** _

_**“Well, actually I said she was in the first class I taught. Which, funny story – was not the class I was supposed to be teaching that day.”** _

_**“Oh God. I smell a further diversion.”** _

_**“I accidentally walked into a Bioethics class instead of Architecture 101. I taught for ten minutes before I realised my mistake. Later, your mother told me that those were the longest ten minutes of her life.”** _

_**“Why? Did you start telling one of your stories?”** _

_**“Guys, as much as I wish I could skip ahead to the part where I met your mom – I can’t.”** _

_**“Right. Because it’s such an interesting and complicated story.”** _

_**“Well, there’s that…but also, I’ve invested so much that…I’d look really stupid if I bailed on the story now.”** _

_**“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…go on.”** _

_**“Kids – breakups are tough. Especially when the person you’re breaking up with meant a lot to you. It’s hard to let go. It’s hard to accept that you’re never going to be part of that person’s life again – you have to deal with the fact that you may never even see them again.** _

_**Of course, sometimes it’s even harder when you do have to see each other.** _

_**It had been two months since your Aunt Casey and I had broken up. But even though we both wanted to be friends, there were a couple of things that stood in the way of that.** _

_**One was the job situation. Remember how I told you that your Aunt Casey was trying out for a new morning show, Rise and Shine Toronto?”** _

_**“And she didn’t get the job?”** _

_**“Oh no, she got it. But it turned out that the show wasn’t quite what she expected…”** _

“Hi,” Casey said brightly, as she latched on to a tall, dark-haired man. “I’m Casey, your co-host?”

“I remember,” the guy said, nodding. 

“I just – I wanted to let you know that it’s an honour to be working with you. To be honest, I still can’t believe it. I mean – you’re Noel Covington. You’ve been a part of countless morning news shows!”

“Um. That is what it says on my driver’s license,” he agreed. “Except for the bit about the morning news shows.”

“Well, this is my first,” Casey said. “And I don’t want to let you or the production team down, so I thought maybe we could go over the plan for our first show. You know – iron out any wrinkles, make sure we’re totally prepared for everything…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Noel said. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

Casey waited, but nothing else seemed to be forthcoming. She blinked. “That’s all the preparation you want to give me?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much?”

“It’ll all work out?”

“Yeah. And, even if it doesn’t – it doesn’t really matter. I mean, it’s not like anyone’s going to be watching the pre-6am death slot anyway.”

**_“That kind of attitude was what led to your Aunt Casey being trampled by a pack of labradors on her very first broadcast as co-host of Rise and Shine Toronto. Which would have been embarrassing if anyone had seen it – or if anyone had admitted to seeing it. _ **

**_So it turned out that your Aunt Casey's great career opportunity…wasn’t._ **

**_Meanwhile, I was finding the whole Professor thing to be everything I hadn’t even dared to imagine – and more. That was one of the things standing in the way of my new friendship with your Aunt Casey._ **

**_The other thing standing in the way was” –_ **

“ – Skye Fisher.” The girl tucked her hair behind her ear before taking the notebook Sam was holding out. “Thanks. I didn’t even realize I dropped it.”

“No problem,” Sam said. “And I’m” –

“Sam Richards,” she finished.

He smiled at her. “Yeah. How did you” –

“You introduced yourself this morning. When you tried to teach architecture to my bioethics class.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Sam said. “That was – embarrassing.”

“If it helps, I felt sorry for you.”

“Exactly the reaction I was…hoping for,” Sam said with a grimace. “But in my defence – I’m new here. I’m just finding my feet and it’s a really big campus, plus all the classes look” –

Skye interrupted, “I could show you around, if you want.”

“Really?”

“Sure. I mean – one good deed deserves another, right?” she said, holding out her notebook as a reminder. “Besides – I totally have a thing for absent-minded professors.”

**_“Skye was funny, and smart, and pretty, and she knew the campus like the back of her hand. And there was something else about her that would turn out to be crucial later– but we’ll get to that. For the moment, all you need to know was that she and I had started dating, and I had even introduced her to my friends._ **

**_And that was the second thing that stood in the way of my friendship with your Aunt Casey. See, it’s one thing to wonder about your ex – because you don’t know how he’s doing, or what’s happening in his life. It’s another thing to have to see on a daily basis how great his life is since he broke up with you. Especially when your own life isn’t exactly going according to plan. I did mention the thing with the labradors, right?_ **

**_What I’m trying to say is that – your Aunt Casey was feeling vulnerable, and lonely. She was a perfect target for anyone looking to take advantage of her. And it was almost as if he sensed that, because that was exactly when Truman French showed up.”_ **

*****

“I think the second place we looked at had promise,” Sheldon said. “It had almost everything we wanted. Friendly landlord, enough space” –

“Hot and cold running cats,” Emily finished. “I’m just not sure…Casey! Hey!” She waved her over to the table, eyes widening as Casey came closer. “Wow.”

“Hey – you look great,” Sam said.

“Thanks.” 

“What’s the occasion?” Sheldon asked.

“Truman French,” Casey said.

“You’re meeting Truman French? Truman French is coming here?” Emily sounded excited.

“He called last night,” Casey confirmed. “He’s in Toronto for a week and he wanted to meet up.”

“Who’s Truman French?” Skye asked.

“He’s just an ex-boyfriend,” Casey said.

“Well – he’s a little more than that,” Sheldon said, correcting her. “I mean, we’re talking about the guy who completely humiliated you, hurt you in every possible way and made you a total laughing-stock.”

“Sounds like my kind of guy,” Derek chimed in, as he arrived back from the bar and began handing off the drinks. “Who is he and when do we meet him?”

“Don’t you have other people to annoy?” Casey asked.

“Don’t worry, you’re still top of the list,” Derek told her, with a reassuring shoulder squeeze. She glared and shrugged his arm off.

“So – what’d this guy do anyway? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m liking what I’ve heard so far – the humiliation, the making you a laughing stock – but I wouldn’t mind getting some specifics.”

Casey’s voice was careful as she said, “Actually, it was such a long time ago that I can’t even really remember” –

“What?” Sheldon said. “Casey – he strung you along and made you think he was serious about you, and then, when the show was cancelled, he cheated on you with your cousin.“ He looked at Emily. “You’d think that would leave a lasting impression.”

“Thanks, Sheldon,” Casey said, glaring at him.

“But look at you now!” Skye said hurriedly, smoothing over the sudden tension at the table. “You’re all successful and accomplished. You’re totally going to blow him away.”

“Well,” Casey said, “I did find out that he’s currently working in Winnipeg – in one of his dad’s hardware stores.”

“There you go,” Skye said. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Just sit back and enjoy the karma. There’s nothing quite like being able show your ex how great your life is without them.”

“Yeah,” Casey said. Her eyes flicked to the table top, where Skye’s hand covered Sam’s.

“Show?” Derek said suddenly.

Casey stiffened. “What?”

“Sheldon said, ‘show.’ He said your boyfriend strung you along until the _show_ was cancelled. What did he mean by that?”

“Casey didn’t tell you about _Whoa McDonald_ – the sk” – Sheldon managed, before Emily had the presence of mind to clamp a hand over his mouth.

But the damage was done.

“No,” Derek said, as a smile slowly spread across his face. “You know something – she didn’t. It must have slipped her mind.” He turned a disingenuously enquiring expression towards her.

Casey groaned, and slumped in her seat. “Okay,” she said, before waving her index finger in Derek’s face. “But just so we’re clear, I’m only telling you now on the condition that you don’t bring it up with Truman later.”

Derek made a speed it up gesture with his hand, and she sighed. “Remember how, when I lived in New York with my Dad, I ended up releasing an album based on a particularly painful highschool breakup?”

“The one that completely flopped, right?” Derek said thoughtfully, as if he were trying to place it. Casey cast a baleful eye at him, but continued. 

“Well, when I said that people thought it was a joke…I meant that literally. They thought my album was a razor-sharp parody of the modern melodramatic angst-ridden teenager. They made me an offer to frontline my own show. _Whoa McDonald_. A sketch comedy show with a real focus on topical issues and a hard-hitting improvisational slant.”

Derek stared at her. “You…were part of a sketch comedy show,” he said, every word heavy with disbelief. “ _You_? The least funny person in the world?” 

He immediately held up a finger. “Sorry – clarification. You – the least _intentionally_ funny person in the world.”

“It was a great group,” Casey said. “There was Alva – who brought her valuable experience with physical comedy and European clowning techniques, Harvey, a distinguished Juvenalian satirist, and Truman, who brought a laconic, urbane wit to the show.”

“Who brought the jokes?” Derek wanted to know.

“But the executives never really gave us a chance, and they pulled the show after only four episodes. But even though that was hard, at least there was a bright side, because the show had brought Truman and me together. We were even talking about setting up our own double act. We were inseparable. Or at least…that’s what I thought. Right up until the night I finally introduced him to my family, and caught him trying out his best one-liners on my cousin, Vicky.” 

Sharing the story appeared to dampen Casey’s spirits, but she perked up again almost immediately. “Not that that matters anymore, because when Truman comes through that door tonight, he’s going to see a strong, confident, successful woman who has worked through the hurt and humiliation of her past. A woman who has done something with her life. A woman who doesn’t care about him any more…and who can’t wait to rub that in his face.”

**_“That wasn’t exactly what happened that night. See, your Aunt Casey expected Truman to come in fighting, defensive, talking up his own life while downplaying her’s. But he didn’t do that.”_ **

“Casey – you look great,” Truman said, standing back to take her in, a process that seemed to take several seconds longer than it should have. Sam and Derek raised their eyebrows.

“Thank you,” Casey said, with reserve in her tone. She waved a hand towards the booth. “Truman – these are my friends. Everyone, this is Truman.”

“Oh yeah,” Sam said, as if he was just remembering. “Aren’t you that guy who worked with Casey a couple of years ago? On that sketch comedy show?”

“Yeah,” Truman said. “That was me.”

“So, what are you doing these days?” Emily cut in smoothly. “Are you still in showbusiness?”

“Actually no. I gave up on the entertainment side of things when Whoa McDonald got cancelled.”

“Really? It would have restored my faith in the business,” Derek said. “Though, of course, the fact that Casey’s still working in the industry and is actually respected as a serious news anchor makes me doubt the whole shebang all over again…”

“That’s right,” Emily said, taking the topic Derek had brought up and running with it, “Casey’s co-anchoring a morning show now.”

“And it’s great,” Sheldon said. “Or so we’ve heard,” he amended conscientiously. “See, it’s on kind of early and none of us has actually seen” –

He suddenly doubled over the table. 

“I’m sorry – was that your foot, baby?” Emily asked.

“Wow,” Truman said, and smiled at Casey. “Co-anchor of a morning show – that’s impressive. I’m really happy for you.”

“You…are?” Casey asked, frowning.

“Of course,” Truman said, the innocent expression on his face hardly marred at all by the subtle quirk of his lips. “I mean, it’d be pretty juvenile if I wasn’t, right? How pathetic would it be if I was still carrying a teenage grudge? We’re both mature, reasonable adults. Of course we’re glad for each other’s successes.”

“Right,” Casey said, back straightening as if she’d just been poked. “Right. Of course. We’re both mature, reasonable people...”

“Exactly. As a matter of fact, I’m really looking forward to that tour of your workplace tomorrow.”

“But…I didn’t invite you on a tour of my workplace tomorrow,” Casey said, frowning.

“I know,” Truman said, with a mock-sorrowful shake of his head. “I didn’t want to mention it, but…I just hope success hasn’t made you forget the little people.” He winked at her.

**_“And just like that, Truman had reversed the whole power dynamic between himself and your Aunt Casey. Now he was the one in control, and she was the one looking for his approval. Of course, she wasn’t exactly receptive to hearing that, when we brought it up, after he’d left…”_ **

“Case – I can’t believe you let that golden opportunity slip right by! What happened to rubbing your life in Truman’s face?”

Casey adjusted the hemline of her skirt. “It just didn’t seem…appropriate. I mean – like Truman said, we’re both – adults now. It would have seemed petty to bring up the past.”

Emily threw up her hands and made a frustrated noise.

“I think Casey’s right,” Sheldon said. “She showed a lot of maturity and grace by not making Truman feel bad about the humiliating way he treated her.”

“You mean Casey just rolled over for him,” Derek said. 

“I did not! Just because I tried to handle things in a dignified way” –

“Oh please. That guy practically had a target on his back and he still managed to talk you out of firing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m impressed – just...not with you.”

“Well I think I handled it well.” Casey turned to Sam. “What do you think, Sam?”

**_“Kids, there are times when you just can’t lie. But there are also times when you just can’t tell the truth. And it turned out that at this stage in our breakup, neither one of us was ready to tell the other what they really thought.”_ **

“I think you handled things just fine,” Sam said.

*****

**“And so, the next day, a couple of hours after her show, your Aunt Casey showed Truman around her workplace.”**

“It’s a little different than I thought it would be,” Truman said, face carefully blank.

“It’s more impressive when people are working,” Casey said. As she dodged a paper airplane, she muttered, “It would have to be.”

In her purse, her cell phone began to ring, and she directed an apologetic smile towards Truman as she answered it.

“Emily – hey! How’s the apartment hunt going?”

“It was going really well – up until the landlady said she’d feel safer with a fine, strapping young man like Sheldon around. I love him, but I don’t know if I’m comfortable living in a place where he’s the first line of defence, you know?”

Casey hummed in agreement.

“So – what are you doing?” Emily asked, though her tone of voice suggested that she knew exactly what Casey was doing.

“I was just showing Truman around the studio.”

“I hope you made sure he knows just how amazing your job is” –

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he knows,” Casey said with a stiff smile, as she moved aside to make room for a woman getting a piggyback ride down the corridor.

“ – because I think you went way too easy on him last night.”

“I was being mature and reasonable,” Casey said. She darted her eyes towards Truman, but his expression remained as impassive as it had during the entirety of her workplace tour.

“I know. I know. I just…don’t sell yourself short, okay, Case?”

“I won’t,” Casey assured her.

“And – we’re still on for tonight, right?”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah – DVD and takeout night, remember? Derek and Sheldon both voted for pizza, and Skye’s going to” –

“I – think I’m going to skip tonight, actually,” Casey interrupted. “I’m probably going to stay home, have an early night…”

There was a silence on the other end of the line.

“Case – I know you’re still upset about Sam” –

Casey moved further down the corridor and said, lowering her voice, “I’m not upset about Sam! I broke up with Sam – why would I be upset?”

“Because he’s dating Skye now.”

“I’m not jealous, Em,” she said immediately. “I don’t want Sam back. We both need to – move on.”

“I know that. It’s just – he did move on first. And faster. And no matter how okay you are with the break-up, that’s got to hurt a little.”

“I just…want some time to myself, Em. That’s all.”

Emily sighed. “Okay, Case. If you’re sure.”

When Casey hung up, she turned back to Truman. “Well – I think you’ve seen everything.”

Truman didn’t comment.

“So I guess…this is it,” she said. She held out her hand. “It was nice to see you again, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation, Truman.”

“I’m sure I will,” Truman said, “provided you have dinner with me tonight.”

“What?”

“You just said you didn’t have any plans,” he gestured at the phone still in her hand.

“Actually, I said” –

“And besides – I really want to spend more time with you.”

“You do?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? We’re both adults, and whatever happened between us…it’s in the past now. We’re over it…right?”

**“I don’t know whether your Aunt Casey actually believed that, or whether she just wanted Truman to believe it. Maybe, after our breakup, she was just too used to pretending that everything was fine. For whatever reason, she said” –**

“Of course we’re over it.”

“Great. See you at eight?”

**“Kids, I’m not going to bore you” –**

**“That’d be a first.”**

**“ – with the story of your Aunt Casey and Truman’s date. All the important stuff happened at the end of the night, anyway…”**

As he walked her back to her door, Truman said, “I’m really glad we did this.”

“Me too, actually,” Casey said. “It was good to talk things out. Like adults. I guess it shows we really have moved on.”

Truman stopped. “Maybe you have.”

“What?”

“I haven’t been totally honest with you,” he admitted. 

“What are you talking about?”

“The thing is – I still have feelings for you.”

Casey stared at him. “You…do?”

Truman leaned closer to her. She frowned but didn’t move away. “This might come as a surprise to you, but…you’re a really hard girl to get over.”

“I…am?”

“And I think we should try again. Give us another shot.”

Casey looked stunned by this, but managed to shake her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, last time” –

Truman cut her off smoothly. “Last time we were kids. We couldn’t handle how we felt. I know I made some mistakes – big ones. But now we’re here…and you still feel something for me. I know you do. And I” –

She waited, eyes wide.

“ – I’m still not over you,” Truman said. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be over you.” He took hold of her arm. “So…what do you say?”

Casey looked up at him.

**“And that’s when your Aunt Casey did exactly what your Aunt Emily had told her not to do. She sold herself short.”**

“Guys, I have some news,” Casey said. Every pair of eyes was drawn to her left hand, which was linked with Truman’s. “Truman and I have decided to give our relationship another shot.” She beamed.

Emily exchanged a worried glance with Sam. “Wow. That’s…um – so, when did this happen?”

“Last night,” Casey said. “I know it’s crazy, but – we realised we still felt something for each other.”

“What can I say? Casey’s a really special girl.”

“Yeah,” Derek said, eyes still fixed on their joined hands, “Special is _exactly_ the word I’d use to describe her.”

“Why don’t you sit down, Truman?” Emily said, getting to her feet. “Case – you want to help me with the drinks?”

She pulled Casey over to the bar. “What are you doing?”

“Em, I know it’s sudden” –

“No, it’s _Truman_. Truman – the guy who lied to you, and hurt you, and cheated on you with your own _cousin_. This is a really bad idea, Case.”

“That was a long time ago,” Casey argued. “He’s changed. We’ve _both_ changed.”

Emily shook her head.

“Listen – I know it seems crazy, but…I need you to trust me on this,” Casey said. “I just – with Sam, and – and everything, I’ve been feeling really bad, lately. And this – _Truman_ – is the first good thing to happen in my life in a really long time. He makes me happy, Em.”

Emily mustered up a smile. “Well…I guess…if he makes you happy…”

Casey hugged her. “Thanks, Em. I really appreciate your support.”

**“Yeah…about that…”**

“So, what are we going to do about Casey and Truman?” Emily asked.

“Do?” Sheldon asked. “I thought we were supporting Casey’s choice. You toasted them and everything.” He looked at Derek and Sam. “Didn’t it _seem_ like we were supporting Casey?” he asked them.

“Well, yeah. To her _face_. But behind her back, we can be honest. Truman is bad news, and we can’t just stand back and let him hurt Casey again.”

“…the thing is – I don’t know if we’ve really got a choice,” Sam said, carefully. “I mean – what exactly can we do to stop her?”

“We can let her know we think she’s making a big mistake,” Emily said. “I’ve already done that – so who wants to go next? Sam?”

Sam scratched the back of his head. “The thing is…after the breakup and everything…I don’t know if Casey and I are – at that stage yet. I don’t think we’re ready to be honest with each other right now.”

“So you’re not going to tell her how you really feel about Truman?”

“I don’t think it’s going to help,” he said.

Emily blew out a frustrated breath. “Okay, fine. Sheldon, looks like you’re up!”

Sheldon looked at her. “But – what if Casey’s right?” 

“What?”

“What if Casey’s right about Truman? Maybe he really _is_ serious about her.”

“He’s here for five more days,” Emily said. “Somehow, I don’t get the feeling he’s thinking long-term.”

“But – it is still a possibility, right?” Sheldon said. “And he’s got to have given Casey a good reason to give him a second chance. Maybe we should trust him too.”

“…and this is why I think I should be in charge of our finances,” Emily said. She sighed. “I can’t believe this. Am I the only one who cares enough about Casey to tell her she’s making a big mistake?”

**“As it turned out, your Aunt Emily wasn’t the only one who cared about Casey. There was someone else who cared enough about Casey to try and stop her from making this mistake.”**

*****

 

**_“The next day after her show, your Aunt Casey got a visit.”_ **

“Derek? Is something wrong?”

“Probably,” Derek said, as he squinted over at two people apparently having a water fight in a corner.

Casey sighed. “I _meant_ – why are you here?”

“Oh, that. I just stopped by to tell you that I don’t know you anymore.”

“What?”

“If you’re going to fall for your ex’s ‘take me back’ schtick, I’m going to have to pretend that I don’t know you anymore.”

Casey looked at him. “…and that’s supposed to _stop_ me from taking Truman back?” More sincerely she said, “It’s…sweet…” she shook her head a little as if she couldn’t believe something, “ – that you’re so concerned about me” –

“Hey,” Derek held up both his hands, “This isn’t _concern_ – it’s a matter of professional pride.”

“…what?”

“You’ve known me for so long that you shouldn’t be taken in by a _really_ obvious, low-level scam like this.”

“It’s not a scam. I believe Truman’s feelings for me are real, and honest” –

Derek extended a hand, “Hi, I’m Derek Venturi – and I don’t think we’ve met.”

“ – not that I could expect you to understand that, since _you_ wouldn’t recognize a good, sincere feeling if it jumped up and bit you.”

“Are good feelings supposed to bite?” Derek wondered. He looked at her. “Well, I guess you’re the expert. Or, you will be.”

“I know this is hard for you to believe, but Truman is nothing like you,” she said. “He wouldn’t lead me on like that.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, frowning as he looked past Casey. “I was supposed to be meeting someone here, but – I don’t see her. Guess I’m in the wrong place.”

Casey folded her arms, and after a second, he walked away.

Only to wheel back again. “Okay, just before I go – you wouldn’t happen to know where I could get a copy of _Whoa McDonald_?”

 

*****

 

**_“The weird thing was, Casey wasn’t the only one having relationship trouble. Of course, at least I was more aware of it…”_ **

“It’s not a big deal or anything – it’s just kind of weird,” Sam said. “Every time we want to have some time alone, it’s _always_ at my place. I’ve never been inside her apartment.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Sheldon said.

“Yeah, but – whenever I meet up with her there, I buzz her on the intercom and she comes down.”

“You think she’s hiding something?”

Sam frowned. “Like another boyfriend? I don’t know. I really like her, and she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d do that. It’s just weird.”

“Maybe her place is really messy,” Sheldon offered. Then, as another idea hit him, “Or maybe she’s ashamed of you. I mean, maybe if you updated your look…”

 

*****

 

“ – but apparently the toilet in the middle of the room is a design feature, and not a horrible mistake,” Emily said, eyes flicking to Truman at the word ‘mistake.’ “I’m starting to think we’re never going to find our own place.”

Casey patted her hand sympathetically. “I’m sure you’ll find something soo…” She trailed off and straightened up as Derek approached their table – only to veer off suddenly and dramatically at the last moment, taking a seat at an empty booth further down the bar.

“Is Derek still” –

“Being a narrow-minded jerk?” Casey finished. “Yeah.” She leaned out of her seat, squinting at him. “He looks tired.”

“He’s been trying to track down a DVD copy of _Whoa McDonald_. But he hasn’t had any luck so far,” Sheldon said.

“I’m not surprised,” Casey said. “Even _I_ don’t have a copy.”

Truman caught her eye and nodded towards the door. 

“Oh, yeah – we’d better be going. We have reservations for eight,” Casey said, as Truman stood up and she slipped out of the booth.

“Why don’t you stay?” Emily asked. With an effort that seemed almost tangible, she said, “I mean – we really haven’t spent a lot of time together…as a group. And we’re – really looking forward to getting to know you, Truman.”

“Another time, maybe,” Truman offered. “It’s just, Casey and I have missed out on so much already, I want to keep her all to myself for a while.”

Casey beamed. Emily swallowed and managed a somewhat nauseated smile. “Well…have fun,” she said.

When they reached the door, Casey paused, a thought seeming to strike her. “Can you wait here for just a minute?” she asked, before making her way over to Derek’s table.

She stood in front of him, but when he didn’t look up, she cleared her throat. 

He glanced up, a blank look on his face. “Yes?”

“Are we _really_ still doing this?”

“I’m sorry – I think you have me confused with someone else.”

Casey sighed. “Fine. But just so you know, Truman wants to spend as much time as possible with me. He wants every single minute I can spare. Does _that_ sound like someone who’s only interested in a meaningless fling?”

“Actually, it sounds like someone who really wants to maximize his holiday ‘good time.’” He paused. “And also someone with a really weird idea of a ‘good time.’”

“You know what?” Casey put her hands on her hips. “I get that you think I’m moving backwards instead of moving forward” –

“I don’t even know you, so I don’t” –

“ – but at least I’m still _moving_!” she continued, raising her voice. “At least I’m not afraid to take a chance and” –

“Fall flat on your ass?”

She glared at him. “When was the last time _you_ took a chance? At least I’m not afraid to _try_. Unlike _some_ people.”

She turned on her heel and marched away. Derek watched as Truman escorted her out the door, his hand on her back, before dropping his gaze, and staring down at the table surface.

 

*****

 

**_“Meanwhile, later that night, when your Aunt Emily and Uncle Sheldon finally left, I got an answer to the big question in my own relationship.”_**

“So – what are we doing?”

Skye tilted her head to the side. “I’m thinking…your place?”

“Well – we could,” Sam said. “But Sheldon and Emily are there.”

“But they’re not in your room, right?” She smiled. “I mean, I know you guys are close, but…”

“We could always go to your place,” Sam said, watching her reaction closely.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s probably not such a good idea.”

Sam tensed. “Why not?”

“This is going to sound stupid, but – my roommate kind of…hates you.”

Sam blinked. “What?”

“I don’t know. She just…doesn’t like you. She got really weird when I told her I was dating you.”

“Why? I mean – do I know her? Did I do something…?”

Skye shrugged. “I don’t think so. The first time she saw you was when you accidentally started lecturing our bioethics class. She just…has a thing about you.”

“Wow,” Sam said. “I don’t usually get such a strong reaction.”

“I’m sorry,” Skye said. “It’s just, apart from that, she’s a pretty good roommate. And you know what they say – boyfriends come and go, but a roommate in a good, centrally located apartment with an affordable monthly rent is forever. Are we okay?”

“We’re okay,” Sam smiled.

 

*****

 

**_“At the time, I thought it was a little weird, but I was too relieved that she wasn’t hiding a secret boyfriend to question it further. If I had, I might have discovered the last crucial thing about Skye. I might have figured out that her roommate…was your mother.”_ **

**_“ Finally. So – what happened next?”_ **

**_“Well, nothing. Until the day before Truman left.”_ **

**_“What? We’re back to Aunt Casey?”_ **

**_“Sorry guys. I’ve got to work chronologically. Otherwise this won’t make any sense.”_ **

**_“Weirdly enough, Dad, I think we’re willing to risk it.”_ **

**_“…anyway, that evening, after dinner” –_ **

“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Casey said. She sat on the hotel bed, watching him pack his suitcase.

“I know,” Truman agreed. “The last couple of days really flew.”

Casey smiled. “They did.”

Truman stopped his packing, and got to his feet. When he reached Casey, he crouched down, and took her hand in his. “It’s been great, spending time with you,” he said.

She smiled at him. 

“And – I’ve been thinking” –

Casey nodded, eyes wide and happy.

“ – if you’re ever in Winnipeg, you should look me up.”

She blinked. “I’m…sorry – what?”

“If you’re ever in Winnipeg, give me a call.”

**_“And just like that, your Aunt Casey realised that your Aunt Emily and Uncle Derek had been right. While she had been imagining a long-term long-distance relationship, all Truman had wanted was a holiday good time._ **

**_This was a hard thing to have to accept in a split second. And it didn’t leave her with a whole lot of options. Sure, she could have screamed, and yelled…but she wasn’t angry. She was too hurt to be angry. She could have cried…but even though she was hurt, she was also determined not to let Truman see it. So your Aunt Casey did the only thing she could do under the circumstances – she tried to salvage as much of her dignity as she could, and said” –_ **

“I…um…yeah. I’ll – I’ll do that.”

 

*****

 

**_“She went to the bar, because we were all supposed to meet up. And I think she probably would have told us then, except…”_ **

“Casey!” Emily shrieked, as soon as she saw her. She jumped to her feet. “We found an apartment!”

She threw her arms around Casey and squeezed her. Slowly, Casey’s hands came up and rested on Emily’s back. “That’s great, Em,” she said.

“It’s a little smaller than we originally wanted,” Sheldon said.

“But it’s not _too_ small, and the toilet is in the bathroom.”

“Always a plus,” Sam noted. Skye smiled and took a sip from her drink.

“I’m really happy for you guys,” Casey said.

Emily pulled back. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Casey said, sliding into the booth.

“Where’s Truman? I thought he was coming too,” Emily said suddenly, as she scanned the bar.

“No – his flight’s really early, and he was tired, so…”

“Oh,” Emily said.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sam asked. “You seem a little…”

Casey looked down at the table, where Sam and Skye’s joined hands were resting. She looked up again. “I’m fine. I mean – I’m a little down because Truman’s leaving, but…we’re already talking about me visiting Winnipeg, so…”

“That’s great,” Sam said.

“Yeah,” Emily said. “I mean – I know I wasn’t exactly the guy’s biggest fan or anything, but…I’m glad for you.”

“Sounds like things are really working out for everyone!” Sheldon sounded happy.

“Yeah,” Casey said.

 

*****

 

**_“In the end, I walked Skye home, and Emily and Sheldon went back to our apartment, still making plans for their new home. And Casey was left alone in the bar._ **

**_But not for long.”_ **

Casey looked up as Derek headed straight for her table, only to ostentatiously veer right at the last second, to sit at the booth above hers. She sighed and rolled her eyes, and got out of her seat.

“You can stop this, you know,” she said.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“You were right.” She slid in next to him. “Truman didn’t want a real relationship. He wanted an easy holiday romance. And I – gave it to him. He dumped me this evening. Well, as much as you _can_ dump someone you’re not even really dating.”

Derek didn’t say anything, and Casey took a shaky breath in. “Well,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “Aren’t you going to tease me about it? I just proved I’m exactly as big a loser as you always say I am, so – go ahead. Let me have it.”

There was a sniffly silence, until he abruptly said, “Yeah – the thing you need to know about teasing is…it only works if the person you’re teasing is – the exact opposite of a loser.”

Casey glanced at him, face soft with surprise, but he stared resolutely down at the beer bottle in his hands.

“Thanks,” she said quietly.

He shrugged.

She frowned, studying his face for a moment, before appearing to come to some decision. She braced her hands on the table, and stood up. “Come on.”

“What?”

“I know I’m going to regret this, but I happen to know a place where you can catch a private screening of _Whoa McDonald_. One night only,” she warned. 

“What are we waiting for?” he asked.

 

*****

 

At Casey’s place, sitting on her couch, Derek called out, “I thought you said you didn’t have a DVD.”

Casey suddenly appeared in her living room, carrying a big box. “Who told you? Sheldon?”

“Sheldon,” he confirmed.

“Actually, I was telling the truth,” she said. “I don’t have a DVD. But…I _do_ have the original scripts and props. So – no extra features, but…you get a live performance instead.”

Derek closed his eyes for a moment. “This is going to be even better than I imagined.” 

Casey put the box down on the coffee table. “Okay. How do you think this should work? Do you want me to give you a ‘best of’ medley, or would you prefer a more intensive readthrough?”

Derek watched her dig through the box, before standing up. “I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but…are you sure you want to do this?”

She looked at him. “Yeah. I am.” She busied herself pulling out scripts from the box. “Because it turns out you…really _are_ nothing like Truman, and – this is my way of saying that – I realise that now. And – thank you.”

Derek stared at her, a slight crease forming between his eyebrows.

She shook her head and handed him a script. “Okay – you’re going to have to read the part of the lethargic parking-warden.”

She took out a short, grey wig from the box and placed it on her head. “I’m going to be SuperNan, the elderly heroine who saves the day. But, for all the surface humour, this sketch also serves as a vitriolic critique on our attitudes towards the aged. So – just keep that in mind. Oh, and we prided ourselves on our improvisational abilities, so the script is really just a vague outline. If you feel an impulse, just go with it.”

She looked down at her script. In a high, frail voice, she said, “Young man, what seems to be the trouble here?”

**_“Kids, something strange happened here. Yes, even stranger than the fact that your Aunt Casey was re-enacting an unpopular sketch comedy show in her living room. Because that…was the exact moment that your Uncle Derek decided to finally take a chance.”_ **

Casey looked up from her script and at Derek, who was still wearing the same strange, absorbed expression. She nodded expectantly at him, and in response he dropped the script. Casey frowned, but before she could say anything, he stepped forward into her space, took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Her wig fell onto the coffee table.

The kiss only lasted a moment. The awkward silence that followed lasted much longer. 

Finally, carefully, as she fidgeted with her script, Casey said, “...what was that?”

“Improvising?” Derek suggested.

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Um. Well…it’s been a – long day, and it might be better if…I think you should probably…”

He nodded, indicating agreement, but Casey trailed off. She looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time, and in a very different voice, she said, “…do it again.”

He kept nodding until the words finally penetrated. “What?”

“Do it again,” she repeated. Her voice only shook a little. 

“Uh…” Derek stared at her.

“Okay – I’ll start,” she said. Slowly she put her script down on the coffee table. She swallowed and began, “Young man” –

Derek moved forward again.

This time, there wasn’t any awkward silence.

 

*****

 

**_“The funny thing about significant moments, is that sometimes, they happen all at once. While your Aunt Casey and Uncle Derek were experiencing their important moment, I was having one of my own.”_ **

San stopped outside Skye’s apartment building. “I guess this is goodnight,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be,” she said. “Do you want to come up?”

“What? But I thought your roommate” –

“Yeah – I’ve been thinking about that, and…it’s kind of crazy. And anyway – I have a good feeling about you. I think you’re going to be sticking around. So – shall we?” She gestured towards the door.

**_“And that’s when you met Mom, right?”_ **

**_“Actually, she was out, so – no. But it was a big step in the right direction.”_ **

**_“We’re going to be here until we’re old, aren’t we?”_ **


End file.
